Nelson Middle, Frisco TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Nelson Middle

Nelson Middle School serves about a mid-sized enrollment across its three grades, with the student body reflecting Frisco's affluent and diverse character: a substantial majority are Asian, a meaningful share are White, and smaller shares are Black, Hispanic, and other backgrounds. Very few students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, situating the school in a high-income neighborhood within an already prosperous district.

The school's academic performance is strong across the board. In math, sixth and seventh graders both show proficiency at high levels, while eighth grade dips slightly but remains solid. English language arts is similarly capable across all three grades, with eighth graders performing at a notably high level. Science proficiency at eighth grade is strong, and social studies, also tested only at eighth grade, shows somewhat lower attainment than the other subjects. Across all tested subjects, the school reaches students at or above the "approaches" benchmark in overwhelming numbers, with substantial shares meeting and even mastering standards. Performance in English language arts stands out as particularly high. Social studies proficiency lagged the other subjects, suggesting a parent may want to look into how that subject is resourced and taught if that area matters to their family.

Nelson Middle is positioned in the top quartile of Collin County districts on overall proficiency. The school operates as a traditional public middle school within Frisco ISD, a major district in a rapidly growing Dallas suburb. Frisco itself is a high-income community anchored by corporate headquarters, large sports venues, retail centers, and extensive parks and trail systems. Housing values in the area are well above both state and national medians, and the local economy is diverse, spanning technology, education, health care, retail, and sports and entertainment. The city continues to expand with large mixed-use developments like Firefly Park and an ongoing downtown revitalization, though growth has moderated from the very rapid pace of prior years.

No data were available on special populations such as students with IEPs or English learners, nor on school-level discipline, attendance, staffing, or course offerings. The school's website location was not provided. These gaps prevent a full portrait of the academic supports, peer environment, and day-to-day school culture. For families considering this school, conversation with staff about how the school serves students who fall outside the typical high-performing profile, what electives and extracurriculars are offered, and how diverse learners are supported would round out the picture.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 691%

School 91% · District 70% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 57 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 791%

School 91% · District 75% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 64 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 887%

School 87% · District 59% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 690%

School 90% · District 83% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 787%

School 87% · District 79% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 895%

School 95% · District 85% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Science

Grade 891%

School 91% · District 80% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 61% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 53 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

This schoolFRISCO ISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income63%Higher-income92%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income35%Higher-income90%55 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income67%Higher-income96%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income44%Higher-income94%50 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income94%50 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income71%Higher-income88%17 pp gap